In addition to its well-known environmental or merely aesthetic value , there are many other reasons to bet on green roofs. These are unusual reasons, which do not seek to enhance biodiversity in the countryside or in the city, improve environmental quality, increase gardens or, for example, act as an insulator , reducing noise, electricity bills and the carbon footprint. . No, at least on a priority basis.
In this post we will see different uses or purposes that can be added to those to increase its ecological value, either intentionally or not. In some cases, they will increase it, and in others they simply obey other intentions. Apart from the fact that, by themselves, we subjectively believe that they justify their construction.
But are those reasons really so unusual? Some more than others, no doubt. Perhaps because of their originality or, if you like, less habitual, they are largely unexpected, as we will see in this post.
Discover, below, these 10 curious purposes that, beyond the common, sometimes motivate the construction of a green roof. And who knows, they could inspire you to carry out your own project. Or why not? … for daydreaming, which is also pretty.
- The use of eco building materials
- Offer a delicious bite to graze
- Reduce landscape impact
- Avoid drafts
- Absorb rainwater
- Help the bees survive
- Encourage the barter economy
- Bet on urban nomadic agriculture
- Have an urban garden nearby
- Build houses next to green gardens
- Comply with French … laws
- Increase labor productivity
Index
The use of eco building materials
Although the construction of a green garden can be carried out with different types of construction materials, some more polluting than others, there is a traditional option typical of the Nordic countries that gives us the possibility of waterproofing it naturally.
The use of birch bark is key to waterproofing the roof in traditional architectures in these areas. Its use allows the roof to be resistant to water and, in general, prolongs its life. Therefore, the design of a green house can seek this option to avoid synthetic materials, with the advantage that the earth and plants help the birch bark to be better fixed. An interesting option for bioclimatic design .
Offer a delicious bite to graze
When there is no forest, or simply, if you want to dedicate a space to expand the garden offering a delicious snack to herbivores such as goats or horses, green roofs are an interesting option.
In the image that opens the post, as well as in the previous one, we see the great results that can be achieved by opting for this option in modern designs that have a minimal landscape impact. The options are as many as designs make it feasible. Whether with a rural or modernist air, so much is given.
Reduce landscape impact
Obviously, a green roof means improving the symbiosis of the house with the environment, if it is located in the countryside, and especially when native plants and even small equally local trees are chosen to cover the roof.
On the other hand, green roofs that cover buildings in cities are also a way of reducing the feeling of living in an asphalt jungle. Instead, the view is little less than that of an urban garden. Although its access is private, for visual purposes it is a contribution in this same sense.
Avoid drafts
The weight of the green roof, adding the earth and the plants , helps the houses to be more consolidated, with which the walls and other infrastructure will be proof of drafts caused by possible cracks.
This effect is an advantage well known in the Nordic countries , where, in addition, in winter, the total weight increases significantly in the snow season, while the earth acts as an insulator from the cold, in addition to the role of the bark birch, as we explained in the first point.
Absorb rainwater
The green roof of these roofs helps absorb rainwater , helping to reduce runoff significantly, depending on different factors, such as the design, plants and slope of the roof, explains the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute.
Help the bees survive
Turning your roof garden into an oasis for bees and other animals, from insects and birds to small mammals or reptiles is an interesting way to contribute to the promotion of biodiversity. In the case of bees, helping them by planting species that help them do their job and installing honeycombs can make a big difference and, along with other measures, even save them from extinction.
Encourage the barter economy
Given that a grass roof in the Nordic countries is a family project that is carried out within a barter economy, since the materials are collected from here and there and their realization requires a lot of labor, which is usually done by the neighbors in rural communities.
Bet on urban nomadic agriculture
Urban nomadic gardening or farming can appear where one least expects it. An occurrence that, over the years, has become a protest gesture, in the style of the movement known as guerrilla gardening. The place is the least of it: a moss graffiti, the roof of a bus … The important thing is to reach the passer-by, convey the message that green is life and, by passive, the lack of green that the city suffers, little less than living death.
Have an urban garden nearby
The terraces or roofs are an invitation to turn them into urban gardens . Of course, as in the case of gardens, the load capacity of the building must be taken into account before overloading it with soil and irrigation, in order to get the most out of our space.
Build houses next to green gardens
It is the fashion in China, a trend that amazes with a simple image. In the thumbnail of the second image we can see how the need for green areas in cities has led to the construction of buildings on the same rooftops, on the other hand also converted into gardens.
Comply with French … laws
Compliance with the French laws is another possible motivation when building a green roof. Specifically, the French Parliament has approved a law that seeks to improve air quality to enhance biodiversity and also seek a lower carbon footprint (reduce emissions), as well as improve public health.
It is a regulation that requires that the roofs of new buildings have a green roof that helps to achieve these objectives, in addition to isolating the building or, failing that, the roofs must have solar panels, within a series of requirements to fulfill.
Increase labor productivity
Green roofs can be passable, in which case they become a good option for office workers in urban environments , surrounded by asphalt, to take breaks between green. There are many studies that tell us about the importance of changing the environment to charge the batteries, ideally coming into contact with nature.
Likewise, a similar effect can be achieved from the same office, although it will not be as effective, simply by having green views. In this sense, having the roofs of other lower-rise buildings have a green tapestry can make a big difference.
If you want to read more articles similar to 12 unexpected reasons to build green roofs , we recommend that you enter our Architecture and urbanism category .
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